Paws In Our Hearts
You are not alone here.
Helplines and groups run by organisations who understand pet loss specifically. Most are free. None of them will tell you it was just a pet.
One of the best known US pet bereavement lines. Also reachable by email.
One of the few university lines open every day. Staffed by veterinary students.
24-hour voicemail; calls returned during opening hours. Summer hours vary.
Covers grief, anticipatory loss and euthanasia decisions. One of the oldest US university lines.
Running since 1989. Monthly virtual support group on the third Thursday.
Run by MSU Veterinary Social Work. Remote support group meets twice monthly.
Student volunteers supervised by a licensed psychologist.
Voicemail any time, returned as soon as possible.
Voicemail returned during opening hours.
One of very few lines with daytime hours, which helps if evenings are hard.
Voicemail outside hours. Serves Virginia and Maryland.
Staffed by social workers and students. Also refers to local grief counsellors.
Moderated chat rooms and video support groups, plus webinars on anticipatory grief, euthanasia and children in grief. Free guest access.
Free virtual support groups run by a network of end-of-life veterinarians.
Free weekly virtual group run by a licensed therapist. Going since 1988.
Free virtual group led by a licensed grief counsellor. Registration needed. Covers anticipatory grief too.
NJ callers: (856) 234-4688.
Serves North Texas. Staffed by trained counsellors.
Somewhere else in the world? There's no equivalent pet-specific network in much of Europe and elsewhere, but findahelpline.com lists free emotional support lines in over 130 countries, and APLB's online chat rooms are open to anyone. Your own vet is often the best first ask — many keep a list of local grief counsellors.
Hours change, especially at the university lines, which are staffed by students and go quiet over holidays. Every listing above links to its own site so you can check before you call.
Found something out of date, or know a service that should be here? Tell us and we'll update it.